A global tourism push has been introduced by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality to draw visitors from Europe and other major markets.
The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality has debuted an online campaign dubbed Visit Istanbul. Developed to build global appeal around the city’s historical and cultural heritage, the push will run across select digital channels. Target markets include the United States, United Kingdom, and Middle East.
Russia, Germany, France, India, and China are also on the list of audiences to reach. Throughout the year, a series of promotional executions will be carried out to generate interest amongst travellers worldwide. A first themed creative titled Meet with History of Your Dream City will live on social media.
The short film features original pieces of music and compelling snapshots to capture the storied essence of the place. To complement the pilot commercial, a second spot, Gastronomy Istanbul, will be released to highlight local flavours. Fashion influencers have come together to collaborate on the initiative.
Laura Comolli from Italy; Barbora Ondrackova from the Czech Republic; Michèle Krusi from Switzerland, and Turkish representative, Simla Canpolat were given a three-day tour of the destination. The excursion, as part of the wider exercise, produced vivid imagery of the entire landscape to promote consumer engagement.
In addition, several notable travel experts have been invited to share in the country’s first major marketing effort, and will unite under one roof for further Visit Istanbul activities. England’s Jennifer Tuffen, Singapore’s Dotz Soh, and Turkey’s Umit Yoruk are meeting in Istanbul across a five-day period.
The push draws inspiration from a 2018 report by the European Travel Commission which showed Turkey as having the highest spike in tourists among thirty-three European countries. The 22 percent increase translates to 46.1 million, with one in three tourists citing Istanbul as his or her preferred choice.
